


Half Way Gone

by pasiphile



Category: Luther (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2012-10-21
Packaged: 2017-11-16 18:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pasiphile/pseuds/pasiphile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm half way gone<br/>Don't want to be alone<br/>I'll burn this town<br/>I'll find you if you wanna be found</p>
<p>Luther, Alice and Jenny as a dysfunctional little family</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half Way Gone

'Come with me,' she whispers in his ear, ever the temptress.

'I can't.'

'Why not?' Trying to win him over, and he could tell her that he'd be coming with her in a heartbeat if it wasn't for - 

'There's someone I have to take care of.'

'Zoe?' She gives a breathy little laugh. 'Oh John, you don't owe Zoe anything anymore.'

'No, not Zoe,' and that hurts, admitting it. 'Jenny.'

Her expression shifts. Jealousy, and isn't that funny?

'Jenny?' She narrows her eyes, tilts her head. 'Who's Jenny, John?'

And right on cue Jenny walks in, sleepy-eyed and worried. 'What's going on?' she asks. 'Who's she?'

Alice turns her head and studies her. He can see her taking in the bird-nest hair, the smudged make-up. The fading bruises.

'Oh well,' Alice says lazily, her eyes glittering. 'I suppose she can come too, if you insist.'

And that's the decision made. It's not like there's any other reason left to stay, is there?

***

'I always wanted a doll,' Alice says, staring fixedly at Jenny.

'I'm not a doll,' she says angrily. She's been like that since they left, angry at him for taking her away from the safety of his flat, and terrified of Alice. Of course she's scared, after all she's been through she recognizes a predator when she sees one.

' _You_ wanted a doll?' he says, looking at Alice in the rear-view mirror.

She shrugs. 'Alright, that's a lie. Dolls are boring. But this one's alive.' 

She reaches out to touch Jenny's hair and Jenny jerks away.

'Alice,' he says sharply.

She rolls her eyes. 'Fine.' And then she transforms from creepy stalker to charming woman-of-the-world in the blink of an eye. 'Tell me, Jenny, would you like to know how to use a gun?' she asks smoothly.

Jenny's eyes widen in fascination.

***

They get along very well after that. Alice teaches Jenny how to shoot and how to use a knife. How to wield red lipstick like a weapon. How to turn a smile into an invitation, or a threat. 

And it's probably not very healthy, but Jenny's starting to laugh, there's a confident bounce in her step, and he can't think of that as anything other than a good thing.

***

'You can't smuggle a gun past airport security, Alice. That's the whole _point_ of airport security.'

'I bet she can,' Jenny says cheerfully. 'Can't you, Alice?'

'Of course I can,' she says with a smile that on anyone else would be called motherly. 'So why don't we make it a bet? If I lose - '

'If you lose, we'll all end up in prison,' he says gruffly.

'And if I win, well, what shall we ask for, Jenny?'

She turns to the girl, who doesn't hesitate for a second. 'Diamonds.'

Alice grins. 'Good choice. And for me...' She puts a cold hand on his shoulder and leans close, whispering in his ear. He swallows.

She steps back and puts an arm around Jenny's shoulders, and Jenny leans into the embrace. 'What do you say, John? Do we have a deal?'

It's Russian roulette again, not knowing how this is going to end unless he pulls the trigger. He nods.

***

Jenny gets her diamonds in the end.

Alice slips into his motel room later that night to collect her winnings, leaning against the door and wearing nothing but that knife-edge smile.

***

There's a rental car waiting for them, a whole new country to explore. They decided on America in the end, because Alice can fake an uncannily good Brooklyn accent and Jenny wants to see LA.

'Brave new world,' Alice says from his right side. She takes his arm, sharp nails digging into his flesh, and there's a gun in her purse and a knife beneath her skirt.

'I can't wait,' Jenny says from his other side, leaning her head on his shoulder. Bright-eyed with excitement, it's like she's a different person from the beaten-down girl he rescued. She's got a knife hidden somewhere, too. 

_Rescued_. Touring the US with a psychopath and a mentally unstable fugitive cop, it doesn't _sound_ like an improvement, and it might be fucked-up but at least Jenny's having fun again.

'Come on, John,' Alice says. 'Let's take over the world.' 

He holds the doors open for them and gets behind the wheel. Jenny and Alice share a smile and Alice puts her cold hand over his on the gear stick and Jenny catches his eyes in the mirror.

'Why the hell not,' he says, and shifts into gear.


End file.
